1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a discharge lamp lighting device and a lighting system, which lights a discharge lamp.
2. Description of the Related Art
A discharge lamp has two filament electrodes and is lighted by high-frequency voltage which is applied across these filament electrodes.
In order to light this discharge lamp, a discharge lamp lighting device allows preheat current to flow in the discharge lamp in advance to preheat the discharge lamp, and after this preheating, high-frequency voltage of a predetermined level for starting is applied across each filament electrode of the discharge lamp to light the discharge lamp.
The time required for preheating the discharge lamp varies in accord with differences of characteristics of filament electrodes in the discharge lamp.